Winter fun list

Dear friends and readers,

Today's post has two parts:
  1) An update on my list of 5 simple pleasures for the holidays.
  2) My Winter fun list for the period of December 21, 2017 to March 20, 2018.

Two birds one stone means the post is a little bit longer than usual so grab your coffee or tea before you read on.

PART 1 - Update on my five simple pleasures for the holidays

1. Make donations to help those in need: Yes, we donated cash to a local community centre, and the Out of the Cold program which serves hot meals to those in need. We also donated non-perishable food items to a local food drive.

2. View the various light displays in the city centre: Yes, some of my favourites are the 100-feet tall and sparkly red Christmas tree, the life-sized silvery reindeer at Eaton Centre, and the festive lights at Nathan Phillips Square.

Christmas tree in Eaton Centre

Christmas reindeer in Eaton Centre

Nathan Phillips Square

3. Listen to choirs singing joyous seasonal music: Sure did. We were at St Andrew's church for the dramatic readings of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and choir singing.

4. Taste freshly baked goods with chocolate or ginger or cinnamon flavour: My husband baked a batch of delicious and cute-as-a-button cookies with cinnamon flavour. We've been eating them this week. I think we he'll bake again next week :)

5. Enjoy a big family gathering and dinner on Boxing Day (December 26): Coming soon. I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone, and enjoying dinner with my extended family.

PART 2 - My Winter Fun List

My winter fun list is shorter than the previous three seasonal lists (spring, summer, and fall) because I'd like to spend some time working towards my goal of living light by reducing my material possessions. I made some progress on this goal in 2017 and will continue until I'm satisfied.

For each item on my winter fun list, I have a time frame or a numeric count for me to track my rate of completion. I plan to report my progress on the 21st day of each month.

1. Exercise one hour daily: From December 21 to March 20, my target count of exercise sessions is 11 in December, 31 in January, 28 in February, and 20 in March. I'll vary my exercises with yoga, walking, swimming, strength training in the gym, stretching, and running short distances.

2. Continue learning Spanish 15 minutes daily: I've been doing online Spanish lessons throughout 2017. From December 21 to March 20, my target count of online sessions is 11 in December, 31 in January, 28 in February, and 20 in March. Knowing basic Spanish was useful when I visited Costa Rica and Spain. It will be useful again for my upcoming trip (see below).

3. Enjoy three fun family outings: We have one big family gathering confirmed for December 26, one long weekend family trip booked in January, and another long weekend family trip booked in February.

4. Go on five coffee or lunch dates with my friends: I'll wait until after New Year's to book the dates and will aim to go to some or all of my five favourite coffee shops.

5. Attend seven cultural events: I'm excited to have a series of art and entertainment events lined up throughout the winter so I can get out there and experience new sights and sounds.

6. Start a new blog link-up: I've proposed a new monthly Wellness Wednesday link-up with fellow bloggers in the New Year. The first link up is on Wednesday January 10, with Wellness goals as the topic. Easy, right? I hope you'll join in on the fun. The more the merrier, so we can share, inspire, and support each other.

7. Plan an independent trip to Chile: This includes activities such as reading travel guides, designing my itinerary, booking the essentials, etc. Having had wonderful experiences in Argentina and Peru, I look forward to exploring another country in South America.

8. Explore Chile in March: A new adventure awaits! If you've been to Chile, I'd love to hear your comments.

I look forward to enjoying the holidays with my family and friends, and completing my winter fun list with much enthusiasm. Happy holidays to you and your loved ones!

An InLinkz Link-up